Union Ministry of Health will provide central assistance of Rs 17 crore for creating modern infrastructure and other facilities in Nursing Training Institutes of Mandi, Chamba, Nahan and Kullu said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh after meeting with Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad at New Delhi today.
A high level delegation of the State Government headed by Virbhadra Singh comprising Health Minister Kaul Singh Thakur, Industry Minister Mukesh Agnihotri and Advisor to Chief Minister T.G. Negi, called on Union Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad to discuss the various developmental projects and schemes relating to Health Ministry.
Chief Minister said that Union Health Minister had sanctioned an amount of Rs five crore grant to each Nursing Health Institute of Mandi, Chamba and Nahan and Rs. two crore for Nursing Training Institute of Kullu and had given necessary instructions to Health Ministry officials for release of the funds immediately and the State Government would receive the grants within a week.
Virbhadra Singh pleaded for enhancement of central assistance from present Rs. 155 crore per annum to Rs 205 crore per annum under NRHM keeping in view of the performance of health sector in the State and told that the State Government had fully utilized the funds under NHRM during last financial year. He said the central funds to the State Government were curtailed due to failure of previous BJP Government in providing state share under NRHM programme which had badly affected the functioning of various schemes. He said that present Congress led State Government had deposited the state share of Rs 25 crore which was not deposited since 2007 and hence pleaded for liberal central funding for various health programmes in the State.
He said that separate website of NRHM would be launched in the State in a week time which would educate the people of various programmes launched under the scheme so as the people could come forward to avail the benefits under the programme. He said that present Congress Government had increased the budget of health sector by 22.6% in comparison to last year while the average budget on health sector was increased by only 10% by previous BJP Government. He asked the Union Government to give incentives to the State Government for granting top most priority to the health sector in the State. He said that budget for Tanda Medical College and Indira Gandhi Medical College had been increased from previous Rs. seven crore to Rs. 30 crore during current financial year and said that it would give boost to research and infrastructural facilities in the premier health institutions of the State.
Virbhadra Singh said that the State Government had implemented the Central Government Private Clinic Establishment Act 2012 and had repealed the State Act for better co-ordination among Central and State agencies for implementation of the Act in the State.
He said that the State had professionally qualified staff to run the public health cadre and health professionals are fully competent and qualified to meet the professional requirements of the cadre and added that there was no need for creating separate public health cadre in the State. He demanded to cover the IGMC Shimla under Prime Minister Health Security Scheme for upgrading the infrastructure and research facilities of the prestigious institute and bring it to the level of AIIMS, New Delhi.
Union Health Minister appreciated the steps taken by present Congress Government to strengthen the health institutions of the State and said that centre Government would provide liberal funding to State Government in all health schemes to boost the health sector. He thanked Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh for giving top priority to health sector and hoped that health indicators Himachal Pradesh would further improve to bring it to the best in the country in coming years.
